Skip to content
The Persian Version largely centres around rebellious young woman Leila (Layla Mohammadi – Special Ops: Lioness), who wears a burkini to a Halloween party, so you can see a ton of skin below the waist, yet she must cover her face? Huh?? The disparity, there.
She then breaks the first wall as she narrates her story, about how she moved from Iran to America, and how both countries hate each other, although on her return at times as a girl in 1985, she’d smuggle in US contraband into Iran, including a tape of Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual.
The present day is “2000s-ish” where she lives in New Jersey, and while the film jumps around the years quite a bit, first-up, we first encounter her ex-significant other in Elena (Mia Foo), but while she’s a declared lesbian, she also has a one-night stand with drag queen Maximillian (Tom Byrne – The Crown Season 4), gets pregnant and that’s another plot point to throw in.
Over the years, we learn her father, Ali (Bijan Daneshmand – House Of The Dragon) came over to the US as a doctor during the Vietnam war before later requiring a heart transplant once he falls ill; and her mother, Shireen (Niousha Noor – Kaleidoscope), turns a dab-hand in ’80s Brooklyn as an estate agent to pay the family hospital bills.
Leila also feels like she’s the outcast of her family, and doesn’t really fit in. It doesn’t help that she’s the only girl amongst 9 siblings. However, her grandma feels like the only one on her side, who also suggests Leila saves herself for her future husband and stay a virgin, by only ‘doing it in the rear’.
However, there’s a scandal to be uncovered, so what’s the ‘Persian Version’ of that?
The Persian Version is quite an amusing film at times, but with some strong drama, giving a good balance overall, and a film worth watching. Alas, at my screening, there was just 5 people, which was unfortunate as it deserves better. Unsurprisingly, it’s not showing after just one week.
The Persian Version is in cinemas now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD. However, once announced, it will appear on the New DVD Blu-ray 3D and 4K releases UK list.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 107 minutes
Release date: March 22nd 2024
Studio: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 7/10
Director: Maryam Keshavarz
Producers: Peter Block, Luca Borghese, Anne Carey, Ben Howe, Maryam Keshavarz, Cory Neal
Screenplay: Maryam Keshavarz
Music: Rostam Batmanglij
Cast:
Leila: Layla Mohammadi
Shireen: Niousha Noor
Ali Reza Jamshidpour: Bijan Daneshmand
Mamanjoon: Bella Warda
Abbas: Jerry Habibi
Majid: Arty Froushan
Maximillian Balthazar: Tom Byrne
Hamid: Reza Diako
Vahid: Parsa Kaffash
Elena: Mia Foo
Young Shireen: Kamand Shafieisabet
Young Mamanjoon: Sachli Gholamalizad
Young Leila: Chiara Stella
Young Ali Reza: Shervin Alenabi
Eman: Andrew Malik
Nurse Roya: Parmida Vand
Babajoon: Ash Goldeh
Shivaz: Samuel Tehrani
Zal: Mahdi Tahmasebi
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.